


ooh baby do you know what that's worth? (ooh, heaven is a place on earth)

by movingforthesakeofmotion



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, I will remain...what is the word? SILENT, i'm not sure why someone wanted an 80's au but here you go!, there is a twist though so..., there's a cranscott mention in here too cause i love those boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 07:34:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13631631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/movingforthesakeofmotion/pseuds/movingforthesakeofmotion
Summary: The year is 1988.Trini Rodriguez is new to the town of Angel Grove. She'd say she's cautious, but she can't seem to find a reason to be...Until she meets Kimberly Hart, of course.A requested 80's au...with a twist...





	ooh baby do you know what that's worth? (ooh, heaven is a place on earth)

**Author's Note:**

> fic title from "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" By Belinda Carlisle.
> 
> so...someone sent me a prompt for an 80's au with a certain twist that i will not mention because you have to read it to find out okay thanks bye hope you like it comments are appreciated and you can scream at me about being a little shit when you finish reading this at movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com

_“We hope you enjoy your stay, Miss Rodriguez.”_

The words echo in her mind as she simply takes in what’s around her, eyes closed, embracing it all.

Waves crashing against rocks is the first thing she registers. 

Seagulls flying above, the sound of their cries echoing in the sky as she blinks once. Twice.

Three times.

The static fades. The beach settles in. 

The sun simply sits on the horizon, slowly sinking below it as the sky begins to darken, the last orange rays from the sun casting a beautiful twilight over the city. 

Angel Grove. 

How cliché. 

She finds herself chewing on the inside of her cheek, a nervous tick she hasn’t been able to kick since she was a child, something that brings her comfort in moments of fear or anxiety. 

Both are hitting her like a tidal wave right now. 

But even she can’t deny the sight before her.

It’s beautiful. Radiant. Extraordinary. 

Hopeful.

Perhaps that lady at the airport was right. Maybe she will like her stay here. 

Cheerful cries carry across the from the highway not far behind her, the sound of cars honking in glee, and she turns, stares out with a frown and a slight squint of her eyes in order to stop the streetlights from blurring her vision.

The city isn’t too far off. 

Maybe she can hitch a ride-

“Hey! Hey, you!” 

A voice to the far right of her.

Her gaze subconsciously follows, lands on a young man with long blonde hair down to his shoulders with a wide smile as he waves his arms above his head to grab her attention.

She raises a hand in reply.

He’s making his way over to her now, a slight jog in his step, and the closer he gets, the more she finds herself returning his never ending smile. 

He comes to a stop in front of her with a loud huff of air and a chuckle.

“Are you new here? I’ve never seen you before!” His voice is laced with excitement, a kind excitement that has her smiling as she nods once. 

“Yeah. Trini.” She extends a hand. He takes it. 

Warmth radiates from him. A kind, sincere warmth that she finds herself almost subconsciously inching closer to.

“Jason! Nice to meet you! Everyone’s usually in the city chilling out by now! You wanna join?” 

“I’m surprised no one congregates here by the beach. It’s beautiful!” She says, eyes falling back onto the ever ending darkening horizon, and Jason chuckles and ruffles the back of his head with a grin.

“The beach is for Saturday nights! You’ve caught us on a Wednesday night, Miss…”

“Rodriguez. And I know, I’m new. No need to point it out.” She teases with a chuckle. His grin grows impossibly wider, and he holds his arm out for her to take.

“Then it would be my honor to show you around, Miss Rodriguez.” 

She returns his grin, an acceptance without any verbal communication as her eyes fall on the Ferrari several feet behind him. 

“She yours?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” He says with pride, his grip tightening just a little as soon as she loops her arm in his. 

But there’s no fear from her in his action. 

She can trust him. She knows it. 

“A Ferrari, huh? Good job.” 

“Thanks. Always wanted one. Now I have one. It’s kind of amazing.” 

“How long you been here?” She asks, a smile lighting up her face as Jason opens the door to the car for her and steps back as she enters the car slowly. 

He doesn’t reply until he’s sitting in the driver’s seat beside her.

“A few years.” 

She’s chewing on the inside of her cheek again.

“Is it every bit the paradise it’s advertised to be?” 

Jason grins.

“That and so much more.” She lets out a deep breath and gazes out of the window with a nod.

“Hopefully I find the same kind of excitement here you found.” 

“I hope you do, too. Come on, I’ll take you to the best place in town.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” 

“A club. It’s called Rita’s. You’ll love it there.” 

“A club?” Her eyebrows shoot up, and Jason laughs loudly.

“Don’t knock it till you try it, Trini!”

“Yeah, they said that about cocaine back in the day.” She mutters, and Jason raises an eyebrow.

“You try it?”

“Of course not!” She exclaims, and Jason shrugs.

“Can’t knock it then.” She shoves him playfully, and Jason laughs, his foot hitting the accelerator a little harder as they zoom forward onto the barren highway. 

-

“Welcome to Rita’s, Trini Rodriguez!”

Jason lifts his arms enthusiastically, showcasing the flashing neon sign of the word “Rita’s” above him as she crosses her arms over her chest with a smirk.

“Am I supposed to be impressed?” Jason’s grin falls, a look of surprise shattering it to pieces as he blinks in shock for a few moments.

“Um…I-we-.”

“You got five seconds to impress me, Mr, uh…”

“Scott. And you got it, Sally Anne! This is 1988, sweetheart, if you’re not impressed, then what the hell are you here for, huh? Let’s go!”

Jason grabs her hand, links their fingers together as he drags her into the bar, and the second they’re inside, she’s looking around in surprise. 

“Oh wow…”

“Ha! Told you!” 

Jason’s words of victory don’t reach her ears.

Pat Benatar is echoing loudly around her, and she’s falling in love with every drum beat of “Love Is A Battlefield”, the neon lights around her intoxicating her as people dance all around her, the crooning sound of Pat’s lovelorn anthem making them all lose themselves to the music, and she finds her hand subconsciously reaching up to tease her hair just that little bit more as Jason grips her shoulder and gives it an encouraging squeeze. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

It brings tears to her eyes.

Everyone is so happy…enjoying themselves, moving to the beat of the music…

“Go on, enjoy yourself! Don’t worry, everyone here is friendly!” 

“You promise?” She asks nervously, and Jason smiles encouragingly. 

“I promise! Look, if you find yourself worried, I’ll be right over there at the bar with my boyfriend, Billy!” 

Her eyes light up at those words, an expression of shock and relief evident on her face as Jason points to a young African American man sitting at the bar, counting peanuts from the small bowl they’re resting in with a frown of concentration, and when she looks up at Jason, all she sees is adoration and love shining in his eyes at the sight.

“He likes counting peanuts. I don’t know why. But he’s great. Go enjoy yourself for now, but come join us if you need to! And even if you don’t need to! I’d love for you to meet him!” 

She’s still gob smacked.

“I…I didn’t know-.” 

“No one cares here, Trini. You can be yourself. That’s what’s so beautiful about Angel Grove.” He says, his voice soft despite the pounding music, and a tear falls before she can catch it.

But he does.

A swipe of her cheek with his thumb, and a soft smile as he leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead. 

“You can let go. Be who you wanna be…I told you it was paradise…and so much more.” 

She can only nod. 

He taps her cheek, gives her a cheeky wink before he disappears into the crowd and she’s left on her own. 

Half of her wants to flee.

The other half of her wants to-

“Wanna dance?” 

The words are said softly into her ear, and it causes a shiver to go up her spine as she turns to look into the eyes of a young man with dark brown eyes, a sly grin on his face as he leans in closer, and she can smell the whiskey on his breath-

“I…sorry, I-.”

“She doesn’t wanna dance with you, Oliver.” 

A soft hand grips her own, a different kind of warmth to Jason’s as a voice behind her right ear echoes loudly, feminine and high pitched before an arm is wrapped around her shoulders. 

“You don’t even know her, Hart.” This guy named Oliver says, his tone accusing and his speech slurred as he points an accusing finger beside her, and she still hasn’t even seen this girl’s face as the arm around her shoulder squeezes-

“Sure I do! She’s Melanie! A friend from way back! Now leave her alone, she’s off limits!” 

“Why?!” He steps forward, and she finds herself being pushed back as long raven hair flashes in front of her, the back of a bright yellow blazer and black stiletto heels the only thing she sees as the woman in front of her pushes this Oliver guy back.

“Because I said so, Tommy!” 

“Well maybe I wouldn’t hit on random girls and make you all jealous if you’d just talk to me-.” The girl laughs, cutting him off effectively as she shakes her head.

She’s still taking in this girl’s outfit.

Black pants and those stiletto heels, holy shit-

“Jealous?! Jesus Christ, Tommy, I will never understand where you get all that self-confidence from, because it’s definitely not from your looks. I told you, you stay clear of me, I’ll stay clear of you, but you’re hitting on my friend, which is the complete opposite of steering clear-.”

“Alright, fine! Jesus…” Tommy glares at this girl before walking away, and she’s still trying to process everything that’s going on when the girl suddenly turns around.

And the breath is knocked right out of her.

“Jeez, sorry! Tommy can be a real sleaze, I saved you big time, trust me.” 

Chocolate brown eyes, black raven hair curled and styled, teased to perfection, olive skin that’s only complimented by the bright pink neon lights flashing around her that turn green, then blue, then red, then yellow-

“I’m Kimberly. Kimberly Hart.” 

She’s extending her hand, and all she can do is stare at her.

The girl’s smile falters, and it finally seems to register in her brain that this Kimberly is waiting for an answer, so she clears her throat and sucks in a breath discreetly before taking her hand.

Warm. Kind. Gentle…

“Trini. Rodriguez.” 

Kimberly Hart raises an eyebrow, looks behind them at the bar before nodding at it.

“Can I get you a drink, Trini?” 

She can’t respond with words.

So instead she nods.

And Kimberly rolls her eyes with a chuckle and drags her along toward the bar, knocking on it once as the bartender looks up with a sly grin.

“Hey, Kim…long time no see. What can I get you?”

“The usual, Zack. Uh, two of the usual.” Kimberly cocks her head to the side at her, and she looks at the bartender with a shy smile as his grin widens. 

“Ah, new meat, huh?”

“You know it.” 

“I like it. Jack and coke-uh, two Jack and coke’s coming up.” 

“Good.” 

She’s fidgeting, fingers hitting against the marble top as her teeth dig into the skin on her cheek, and Kimberly’s eyes observe her for a long time, looking her up and down before their eyes finally meet.

“You’re nervous.” 

“You get that from staring at me for the last five minutes?” She teases, and Kimberly smirks.

“I’m not staring, I’m…drinking you in.”

The words don’t quite sink in when Zack plops down a drink in front of each of them, and she regards the drink for a few moments before taking it cautiously.

“To meeting at Rita’s.” Kimberly says, raising her glass, and she raises her own, clinks it against Kimberly’s before taking a sip.

She can feel Kimberly’s eyes staring at her over her own drink as she takes a small sip, the effect immediate as the whiskey burns down her throat and causes her to cough into the drink a little. 

Kimberly laughs and reaches out, fingers digging into her shoulder slightly.

“Too strong for you?” She teases, and she shakes her head.

“No, I’m fine.” She manages to choke out, tears springing to her eyes as she coughs away the burn before setting the drink back down on the bar top. 

Kimberly’s about to reply when the familiar guitar of INXS’s “Need You Tonight” echoes around the bar, and before she can say anything, Kimberly is howling and jumping up from her seat as she downs her drink and one gulp with barely a wince and grabs her hand.

“I absolutely LOVE this song! We have to dance, come on!” 

She can barely protest, can’t get a word in as Kimberly drags her to the dancefloor and immediately lets the sound of the guitar take over her body, hips swaying to the beat, head falling back with a snap to each twang of the guitar as she watches on in a trance. 

She’s impossible. Undeniable. Breathtaking. 

Immediate.

She’s hooked, line and sinker, with barely an introduction and a sway of beautifully curved hips. 

And god, that smile…

“Come on, dance with me!” It’s a breathless whisper into her ear as nimble fingers move past her denim jacket and come to rest on the exposed skin of her hips, fingers barely grazing the crop top she has on, and Kimberly’s fingers are cold against the heated skin of her stomach-

“I…really?” Her voice is weak, pathetic, and god she hates this effect this Kimberly girl has on her, but it’s undeniable and so goddamn addictive already-

“I saved you from Tommy Oliver, it’s the least you owe me.” She says with a pout, and then her fingers are curling into her jacket and pulling her forward a little closer, and it’s an intimacy she hasn’t had in such a long time that it’s bringing tears to her eyes and making goosebumps erupt all over her body-

She has to get out of here.

“I…we…I’m sorry.” She’s pulling away, ignoring Kimberly’s call of her name as she dashes past the bar and heads straight for the exit. 

It’s pouring rain by the time she gets out, and the rain droplets hit her skin, but she doesn’t feel them, her heart pounding erratically and everything suddenly blurring around her as she tries her best to breathe.

She’s such an idiot-

She collapses against the wall, finds herself sinking down until she’s sitting down on some cardboard boxes outside the bar, her breath coming out in a cloud of smoke in front of her as the rain only pours harder-

“Hey!”

She groans almost subconsciously at the sound of Kimberly Hart’s voice, and when she looks to the left of her, Kimberly Hart is walking toward her, not even bothered by the rain as she squints slightly from the rain hitting her face and collapses down beside her.

“What happened in there?” She asks, voice a little loud over the rain, and she shakes her head, can’t bring herself to tell the truth.

That Kimberly Hart is intimidating and she has no idea how to approach her at all.

Has no idea how to approach girls in general.

“I…I’m sorry-.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry! I get it!” 

She looks up at her in shock, which turns into a frown as Kimberly Hart grabs a cigarette from her purse and lights it with a shrug, protecting it from the rain as she does. 

“You can’t dance.” 

She feels like she should correct her, but she’s pretty sure that would only lead to more questions.

“I…”

“You could at least let me teach you. You didn’t need to run off.” Kimberly says, taking a drag from her cigarette with a grin. 

“Fight or Flight I guess.” She mutters. Kimberly laughs, nods as she blows out the smoke in her mouth. 

“Always active, huh?” 

“Seems like it. Even in Paradise.” Kimberly chuckles, takes another drag of her cigarette.

“How long are you in town for?” Kimberly asks. She shrugs.

“Not long.” 

A sigh of recognition.

“Ah…well then…we should probably make it memorable, huh?” 

A pause.

“Uh…what did you have in mind?” 

-

Nails digging into her shoulder, a breathless gasp into her ear, a moan that has a shiver running up her spine…

This.

This is Paradise.

“Don’t stop, fuck, Trini, just like that, keep going-.” 

The taste of sweat fills her lips, but it’s intoxicating and beautiful and a million other things that she can’t describe, and she never wants this to stop, never wants this to end-

A scream of her name as Kimberly’s thighs lock around her waist, one hand scratching nail marks down her back and the other tugging on her hair as Kimberly Hart falls apart in her arms, loud breathless gasps that turn into moans and all she can do is hold her, kiss her through her euphoria as her body stiffens and holds for what feels like eternity before she relaxes, her moaning trailing off as she leans back with a dazed expression and a press of her lips against the woman who brought her this euphoric point. 

“Fuck…God damn, Trini, I…fuck…” She collapses back against the bed with a laugh of disbelief, and she’s smiling and clambering onto the bed beside her, fingertips trailing over the sweaty skin of Kimberly’s stomach, and she shivers at her touch before turning her head to look at her with a deep breath. 

“Are you sure that was your first time?” Kimberly whispers, and she laughs, purses her lips and nods once. 

“I’ve always kind of been awkward.” 

“That was anything but awkward, that was…holy shit.” 

“You curse a lot.”

“I don’t see you complaining.” 

“I’m not.” 

“Mmm…” Kimberly turns to her side to face her properly, a hand reaching up to brush back the hair from her face, and the touch is so soft, so intimate, she finds herself closing her eyes and simply embracing it while it lasts, a sigh of want and need escaping her before she can stop herself.

“What’s running through your mind right now? Tell me.” Kimberly whispers. She smiles, keeps her eyes closes before licking her dry lips and clearing her throat.

“I don’t want this to end.” 

“Mmm…you’re not much of a one night stand kind of gal, are you?” 

She opens her eyes, raises an eyebrow, and Kimberly laughs.

“Oh yeah, right. First time. I forgot.” 

“Was I that good?” She says with a grin, and Kimberly laughs.

“Hey, I walked you through some of it.”

“So?”

“So my own skill made you THAT good. Which you were, by the way. I just…wow. Now that’s something Tommy Oliver could never give me.” 

She finds herself frowning at those words, and the question escapes her.

“What…did you two-?”

“Shh. Don’t dwell on it. I know I don’t.” 

It’s such a perfect answer. She can’t begin to question it.

So she doesn’t.

“I’ve never felt this before.” She whispers. Kimberly watches her with confusion.

“Felt what?” She asks gently. She finds herself taking Kimberly’s wrist, fingers wrapping around them gently as she presses a kiss to her palm. 

“Happy.” She murmurs. Kimberly swallows, her smile faltering slightly, and for a second, she swears she sees tears in her eyes before she blinks and it’s gone.

“They don’t call this place ‘Paradise’ for no reason.” She says, and she laughs and nods.

“Angel Grove.”

“Angel freaking Grove.” Kimberly repeats with a breathless laugh. They simply drink in this moment of laughter and happiness for a few moments before she lets out a deep sigh and looks into Kimberly’s eyes.

“What happens now?” She whispers. Kimberly watches her, eyes boring into her, almost as if she’s scanning her soul before she leans in close, lips inches away from hers as she reaches a hand up to touch her cheek.

“We see where Paradise takes us, Trini.” 

-

She’s gone.

She’s searched desperately for days, for hours, for what feels like weeks now, but she’s gone.

Kimberly Hart is gone. 

Almost like she’s been erased from Angel Grove.

She’s searched every nook and cranny of the place to no avail. 

But it can’t be. It simply can’t.

People don’t just vanish.

Which leads her only to one conclusion.

Kimberly Hart is purposely avoiding her.

And she has no idea why.

She’s pushing her way through the crowd on day five of searching for Kimberly Hart, for that familiar poof of raven hair that’s been curled and teased to hell, or the bright yellow blazer and those goddamn stilettos…

But instead, she finds herself looking at something that’s a different kind of familiar.

Long, blonde, mullet styled hair and piercing blue eyes. 

“Jason! Hey, Jason!”

She manages to reach him at the bar, his arm thrown around Billy and a wide grin on his face as she comes into view. 

“Hey, Trini! Where’ve you been-?”

“The girl I was here with before, have you seen her around? I’ve been looking for her for ages and I can’t find her, Jason.” 

Jason frowns, confusion evident on his face before his eyes light up with recognition.

“Oh, wait, you mean Kimberly Hart?”

“Yeah, Kimberly!” She says desperately, and Jason frowns again before he shakes his head.

“Nah, I haven’t seen her in a while. Bill?” He taps his boyfriend’s shoulder, and Billy pulls away from his conversation with Zack the bartender and turns to look at them with wide eyes.

“Yeah?”

“You seen Kimberly around, babe?” 

Billy thinks on it for a moment before he shakes his head.

“No, not for a while. Why?” Jason sighs and nods toward her.

“Trini’s looking for her.” Billy’s eyes turn kind as he extends a hand.

“Hey, Trini! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Ditto.” She says softly, taking his hand in her own with a smile. 

“Yeah, sorry, Trin. We haven’t seen her around. Why, you two hit it off?”

When she doesn’t reply, Jason’s grin widens.

“Hey, there we go! See, told you you’d find a slice of Paradise-.”

“Yeah, except now I’m pretty sure she’s avoiding me. I haven’t seen her for a long time-.”

“I’m sure she’s around, Trini, maybe you’re not looking hard enough.” Jason says, taking a swig of his beer, and she shakes her head.

“I’ve looked everywhere, Jason! I-.”

“I can’t help but overhear, but maybe you’re going about this wrong.” Zack the bartender says suddenly, wiping a glass with his rag, that same old sly grin on his face. 

“What are you talking about?” She asks, frustration starting to get the better of her, a slight growl in her tone, and he chuckles and shakes his head.

Billy’s the one who answers her.

“He means you’re asking the wrong question.” 

She waits for him to elaborate.

He doesn’t.

Jason has to tap his shoulder, and Billy looks back and forth between them before sighing.

“It’s about ‘when’. Not ‘where’, Trini.” He says, as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world.

_What the hell is he-Oh…_

_Ohhhh…._

Her mouth is dry now, and she swallows thickly before looking at each of the boys in front of her.

“Okay, well…I’m still gonna need help on that front. I don’t know-.”

“Try ’99. Turn of the new millennium is always a hit. Or early 2000’s, that’s her shit, too.” 

“She always comes back here one way or another though, Trin. Maybe you should just wait her out. She can’t resist 1988. This is home to her.” Jason says with a warm smile.

Trini offers it back.

“Then I’ll bring her home.” 

-

The moment she sees her, the breath is knocked out of her again.

It’s 2004. 

An era she’s a little unfamiliar with. 

Like Kimberly, 1988 is home for her.

But she’s here.

Long black hair cascading down her back, a little less teased and a little more wavy now, and she’s playing arcade games with her tongue sticking out in concentration, and she’s dumbstruck and dumbfounded-

And Kimberly’s gaze moves across the arcade to her. 

And the smile is wiped right off her face. 

There’s no warmth in her brown eyes.

Only fear.

She’s lost for words. Can’t begin to process what’s happening-

She’s standing. Dashing straight toward the women’s bathroom.

She follows.

The second the door slams behind her, Kimberly Hart looks into the mirror above her, gazing at her reflection with a look of disdain.

“What are you doing here?” She asks, her tone a lot harsher than she remembers. 

She finds herself wincing.

The words hurt more than a punch ever could. 

“I…I came looking for you-.”

“Who said I wanted to be found?” Kimberly says stiffly. 

A pause.

She doesn’t even know what to say.

“I..I never said you wanted to be-.”

“So why are you looking for me?” 

“I don’t know, maybe because I’d like an explanation.”

“For what?”

“For why you ran out on me!” Her voice is raising now, she can’t help it.

She can’t control her emotions right now. 

Kimberly scoffs.

“Ran out on you?! It was a one night stand, Trini! We had sex, and yeah, it was great, but that was it! Jesus, move the fuck on!”

Kimberly moves to the door, but she blocks it.

What can she say, she’s feeling bold today.

“No. That can’t be all it was to you. What about after the sex? What happened to ‘let’s see where Paradise takes us’, huh? What happened to that?” 

“Oh come on, that…I…” Kimberly stumbles over her words, lets out a sigh of frustration before scoffing again.

She hates it when she scoffs.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you, okay? This…this is supposed to be a place where you can just have fun and forget! I didn’t…this…I didn’t plan for this!”

“Plan for what?!” She yells, she doesn’t mean to, but she does, and Kimberly is flinching before she shakes her head.

“Just go. Go back to 1988 and enjoy yourself, Trini. Forget about me. And I’ll do the same with you.” 

It’s thick tension between them, the silence almost unbearable, and it’s loud breathing and flushed cheeks and a slight choked out sob before she replies.

“I don’t want to forget.” It’s a soft whisper, but even through the sound of Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World” playing in the arcade bar, Kimberly can hear her.

And before Kimberly can form another reply to hurt her, she’s walking away with tears falling down her face and a feeling she never thought she’d associate with Paradise hitting her body like a freight truck.

Pain.

-

She’s never seen anything like it before. 

The moon is full and bright above her, shining in a cloudless sky as she lets out a deep breath, the hot night air sticking to her skin as she swings her legs, looks down at the streets below her with a light smile. 

Not long left now…

She hears the sound of someone climbing the fire escape, and she doesn’t have the heart to tell them to fuck off, even though right now, she’d rather go through the pain she’s feeling alone right now-

“Hey.”

Ah fuck.

“Fuck off.” It’s petty, she knows, but fuck it.

The last voice she wants to hear right now is Kimberly Hart’s.

“I…look, I know I’m the last person you want to hear from right now-.”

“Right on the money with that, Kimberly.” She says firmly, and Kimberly sighs before she walks over to her and comes to a stop sitting down beside over, swinging her legs over the side of the building as well.

“I’m not gonna jump.” She says with a roll of her eyes, and Kimberly scoffs.

“I know that, idiot.”

“You’re an idiot.” 

“Really? Are we doing this?” Kimberly deadpans, and she shrugs.

Kimberly sighs, reaches out and takes her hands, and she finds herself shivering at how cold Kimberly’s fingers are against hers.

“Look, I…I came here so I could have some fun. You know, relive my glory days on my way out and just…be that person I used to be again. Just for a little while, just…for a few moments. And I didn’t…I didn’t…fuck, I…fucking suck with words-.”

“You don’t say.”

“Shut up, I’m trying, idiot.”

“You’re failing miserably, particularly with the consistent name calling-.”

“I didn’t prepare for you, okay!?” 

Silence.

She watches Kimberly, watches the desperation as she wrings her hands and stares at her with such exasperation, such sadness, that she has no idea how to reply.

So she doesn’t.

“I didn’t prepare for this, I didn’t…I told myself I wasn’t gonna like anyone here, that I wasn’t gonna do feelings, I was just…I was just gonna have fun and be myself, and I didn’t…I didn’t prepare for you, I never thought I’d want something like this, something like you-.”

She doesn’t finish her sentence.

She grabs Kimberly’s face, pulls her close, kisses her with every ounce of passion she can muster, lips hard as Kimberly whines before gripping her jacket and pulling her closer, teeth biting down on her lower lip-

“Kim-.”

“I know, let’s go.”

-

“Can you even taste that?” 

Kimberly takes another drag from her cigarette, watches the plumes fly up into the night sky as she looks out at the beach, the waves crashing into the beach front as she sighs.

“Not really. I can taste the memory of it.”

“Yeah…it’s the same with the sand. I can remember the memory of it beneath my toes, but…actually feeling it…” She buries her feet into the sand, hears Kimberly chuckle beside her as she leans in and presses a kiss to her temple.

“I never asked, you know…”

“Asked what?” 

“Are you visiting, too?” She asks. Kimberly sighs again.

“Yeah.”

Silence cuts through them as Kimberly’s fingers tangle in her hair, brushing back the strands sticking to the sweat still on her skin as she pulls the sheets draped around her body closer with a shiver. 

“Are…are you gonna-.”

“No.”

It’s short. A simple answer.

It fills her with a million questions.

None of which she asks.

“Oh.” 

A scoff.

She fucking hates it when she scoffs.

“That’s all you got for me? ‘Oh’? What about you?” Kimberly asks, taking another drag from her cigarette.

“I’m…uh…yeah. I’m gonna stay.” 

She feels Kimberly stiffen beside her.

“Oh.” 

“That’s all you got for me?” She deadpans robotically, and Kimberly shoves her with a playful grin.

“Shut up, idiot.” 

She chuckles, and Kimberly takes another drag of her cigarette before throwing it out into the sand with a loud sigh.

“When…”

“Soon. I’ve just a few final things to set in place.” 

A pause.

“Final things?”

She sighs.

“It’s a long story.”

“Mmm…we still got fifteen minutes.” 

Another pause.

“I…Kim…” She trails off.

Kimberly’s fingers pause in her hair before they suddenly move, tucking under her chin and forcing her gaze up until she’s staring into chocolate brown eyes filled with warmth and light and…

Concern.

“What is it?” Kimberly whispers. 

She licks her lips. 

Leans up and kisses Kimberly softly, melts into her touch before she pulls away and-

“I’m getting married.” 

Kimberly freezes against her. 

“I…um…uh-.”

“It’s not what you think.” She breathes against her.

“Well, you got about thirteen and a half minutes to explain.” Kimberly says with a weak laugh. She bites down on her lower lip, whines and kisses Kimberly again because it gives her time to build up the courage-

“Trini-.”

“My parents kicked me out when I was seventeen. I came out to them and they…they were so mad at me, so mad at the idea of having a gay daughter, and I…I didn’t have any money and I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I lived in a small town in Mexico that was…really unaccepting, and…and Catholic-.”

“So even more unaccepting than ‘really unaccepting’…” Kimberly murmurs, and she laughs, can’t help herself, loves that she’s trying to make light of this shitty, shitty fucking situation-

“It didn’t help that it was the early 80’s and AIDs was, well…gay people were seen as filthy, disgusting animals and…”

“Trini…” Kimberly’s voice is low, and she has a feeling she doesn’t need to explain what happened next-

“Baby…what happened?” Kimberly’s voice is trembling, and she looks up at her, this woman, this beautiful woman-

“I pretty much got beaten within an inch of my life. Men, women, little kids…you name it, they got a hit in. I was on the verge of death and they were about to push me off the cliff when a friend of mine saved me…took me to the border…they took me to an American hospital because by some miracle…by some fucking miracle, the guards at the border weren’t dicks, and they did everything they could to save me, but…”

She doesn’t want to say it…

“I’ve been paralyzed since I was seventeen years old, Kim. I’ve never lived life, I’ve never…never experienced it. Not like you’re supposed to. Unable to move, unable to speak, to breathe, walk, shout, yell, cry, scream, just…nothing. And then…then Angel Grove happened. This place happened and I got to start over and just being here…just being here was enough to sign me up to pass over, but then I met you…”

Kimberly’s fingers squeeze hers tightly, but she keeps talking, unable to stop now the words are flowing-

“I met you and I got just a taste of what heaven is and I just…I can’t leave, even if I wanted to, and god, I don’t want to, Kim, because this is my second chance, my second chance at a life-.”

“Shh, shh, I’ve got you.” Kimberly holds her close, hugs her tightly and presses kisses to every inch of her face her lips can reach, and she melts into her touch, allows the trauma of her past to hit her as she cries into her shoulder and allows herself to simply FEEL. 

She’s been trapped for so long…

“This doesn’t explain the ‘getting married’ part…” Kimberly whispers, and for once, she laughs, wipes her tears away and looks up at her with a wry smile.

“I can’t speak, so I can’t give them permission to…you know-.”

“Kill you voluntarily.” Kimberly says with a weak smile, and she nods, sniffs her tears away.

“Yeah. There’s this guy there, a male nurse, he’s sweet, the gentlest soul I’ve ever met…he’s been my nurse for seven years, and we had this connection from the start. We developed a code between us with blinks, a language…he’s the one who told me about this place, signed me up for it at my request…we came up with the idea of him marrying me so he can override any familial authority and sign papers that legally state I can be euthanized and brought here permanently…” 

“Ah…and the pieces fall into place.” Kimberly whispers. She nods along, and Kimberly tucks a lock of hair behind her ear with a warm smile.

“How long until…”

“Three days.” 

Silence fills the air again, and Kimberly sighs and looks down at her watch.

“We’ve got two minutes…I should be fast then.”

“About what?”

“About me coming to see you. Out there. Where are you situated?” 

“I-what?” 

Kimberly smiles.

“I have to see my girl in the flesh before she becomes a permanent part of Angel Grove’s mainframe. Which retirement home are you based at, Trini?” 

“I…no, Kim, I don’t want you to see me like that-.”

“Trini…you are and always will be…the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Now either you tell me, or you make the next three days a very painful process of elimination for me, because I don’t care if you’re in Australia, I’m coming to see you, Trini Rodriguez. Now…where are you based?”

-

“Ah, you must be Kimberly Hart.” 

Her limbs are frail…old and broken and fragile from years and years of abuse and wear and tear and god, every step is goddamn agony.

But she’ll be damned.

She’ll be damned if her 87 year old ass is not going to climb these stairs and reach Trini Rodriguez’s room before they turn off the machines keeping her alive. 

“And you…must be Zordon. Trini’s told me all about you…” 

Zordon’s smile is kind, his blue eyes ablaze with light as he offers her a helping hand up the stairs. 

“Such a strange name…Zordon.” She repeats, raising a wrinkled hand to cradle his cheek, and he looks to be at least in his early to mid-fifties, but compared to Kimberly, he’s a child.

Or at least she sees him as such.

“My parents were hippies. This way, Trini’s room is right around the corner.”

“Ah good, because…I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out.” Kimberly confesses with a groan, and Zordon looks down at his watch, taps on it a few times as a wheelchair materializes out of thin air.

Kimberly blinks.

“I’ve lived in this world for 87 years, but I can tell you, Zordon…I will never get used to that.” He chuckles as he helps her sit down in the chair.

“Neither will I…technology is getting too advanced even for me.” 

“God, you weren’t even born when I was twenty years old, we didn’t even have touch watches or mobile phones…” 

“How strange.” Zordon teases. Kimberly laughs, and it quickly dissolves into a cough as he sighs and begins wheeling her down the hallway.

“So…you’re going to marry Trini and help kill her at her request, huh?” She manages to wheeze out once her coughing fit has settled. Zordon takes a deep breath in.

“Yes…it’s the least I can do. Trini has kept me company for seven years, it’s time I returned a favor.”

“What a strange favor to return.” Kimberly teases. Zordon chuckles.

“You’re not wrong.”

He opens the door they stop in front of before wheeling Kimberly inside, and as soon as he spins her around to face Trini, she finds herself letting out a soft whimper.

She’s frail.

Too frail.

It looks like the simple press of her skin will cause it to break off in sores and blisters. 

Her grey hair is long, cascading over the side of the bed, tubes and needles poking out of almost every limb of her body, and the sight breaks her heart.

This isn’t the Trini she knows.

It’s just a shell.

“Oh…Oh, Trini…” She pushes herself up off the wheelchair with difficulty, Zordon rushing to help her up as soon as he sees her attempting it, and then she’s shuffling her way forward, each step causing her to cry out in pain until she’s stood over Trini’s frail shell of a body, her eyes staring up at the ceiling blankly.

Her eyes…they’re the only thing that’s the same.

Kimberly feels the tears in her eyes before they fall, and she brushes back Trini’s hair from her forehead with a trembling smile.

“Hello, idiot.” She leans forward, presses a kiss to her forehead before looking up at Zordon with a sigh.

“I have…a favor to ask you.”

-

“So…”

She looks up at the sound of Kimberly’s voice, a smile lighting up Kimberly’s face as soon as she does, and she sighs and nods.

“I can see you…just can’t respond.”

“You can now.” Kimberly skips over to her and sits down beside her on the front steps of the beachfront cabin, and she sighs.

“So…how bad is it?” She asks. Kimberly shrugs.

“I’ve seen worse. What about me?” She teases.

“I’ve seen worse.” She teases back. Kimberly shoves her playfully, and she chuckles and stands kicks the sand a little before looking up at the sky and resting her hands on her hips.

“So…is this the final goodbye or something? I’m not exactly sure why you wanted to bring us back here, I mean, I know I’m joining the mainframe forever, but you’ll be back next week-.”

She turns mid-sentence.

She doesn’t expect to see Kimberly down on one knee when she does. 

But she is.

Looking extremely nervous and not at all prepared, Kimberly reaches into her pocket and pulls out a diamond ring.

And all she can do is stare.

“Okay, so…here’s the thing. Zordon is awesome, and a great guy, and…kind of a catch, but that’s beside the point…why get married to him when you can get married to me?” 

She’s still staring.

“I just…I think it would be cooler if you married someone you’ve actually connected with, and I mean, if we’re married in here, then we’ll be married out there, because this is the only place we can get your consent, so-.”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Kimberly blinks in shock.

“I…yeah?”

She drops down to her knees in front of her.

And she’s hugging her, kissing every part of her face she can reach and sobbing into her shoulder as she hugs her tightly.

“Is that a ‘yes’?” Kimberly asks with a breathless laugh, and she nods, cries into her shoulder.

“Yes, yes, yes! A million times yes!” 

-

It isn’t immediate.

For her, at least.

She doesn’t feel when she passes over initially, her eyes still focused only on the golden ring currently wrapped around her left finger with a mixture of euphoria and pure ecstasy when it slowly starts to dawn on her that the sheets beneath her body feel very cashmere.

Cashmere. 

She shouldn’t be able to feel cashmere.

And they smell…like fresh linen.

She shouldn’t be able to smell that either.

You can’t really sense anything in Angel Grove, your senses only acting from your memories.

But this time, it’s different.

It’s real.

She runs outside onto the beach, feels the sand between her toes, and when the water from the ocean hits her and the water is ice cold, causing her to gasp and jump back with a yelp, she finds herself screaming in joy and running into it, diving headfirst into it’s depths.

She’s home.

-

Kimberly comes to visit five days after she passes. 

She comes swinging down the highway toward the beachfront cabin in her pink convertible, tires screeching on the road as she honks her horn.

And as soon as she runs out, she sees Kimberly jumping up in the car wearing a fucking wedding dress, bouquet of flowers and everything.

“Oh come on, Trini! We got married! Where’s your wedding dress!?” 

She laughs, conjures up the image in her mind-

Looks down and sees herself in a wedding dress, sequins and lace galore.

It’s hideous.

She loves it.

Kimberly cheers.

“That’s more like it! Let’s go, my love! Angel Grove awaits us!” 

-

“So…what’s your story?”

“Hmm?”

She chuckles and looks up at the full moon, listens to the waves crash against the rocks for a few moments before shoving Kimberly playfully.

“Why haven’t you passed over yet?” 

Kimberly doesn’t answer for a long time, but she waits patiently until Kimberly shifts beside her after a few moments.

“Because I’m not going to pass over. Once I’m gone out there…I’m gone in here, too.” 

It takes her a few moments to process what she’s trying to say.

“I…Oh.”

“Your favorite word.” Kimberly says sarcastically.

“I just…I…well, how long do you have, I mean…are you sick, or-?”

“Sick, of course. I’m 87 years old with a cough that could put an emphysema patient to shame. As for how long I have…no idea. Could be a few months…could be a week…”

Panic’s starting to build now, she can feel it…creeping up through her toes, into her chest-

“So…so every week when I see you…it could be my last time seeing you? This-this right now could be m-my last time seeing y-you-.”

“Hey, look, don’t think of it like that-.”

“No, fuck…fuck that, Jesus, Kim! I…you’re my wife, I-.”

“Oh come on, Trini, it’s not…I…we-I just did that so I could help you pass over, I-.”

“Wait, what? No, no, you can’t…you can’t tell me this means nothing to you!” She holds up her finger, the ring shining on her left finger in the moonlight, and she sees Kimberly swallow as her expression turns stony, sees her look at the ring in anger as if it’s caused her harm.

“You can’t tell me I mean nothing to you! Or else this-.” She points at the ring before taking it off her finger and throwing it out into the ocean.

“Means fucking nothing!” She’s screaming, tears falling before she can stop them, and Kimberly is refusing to look at her, tears falling down her own face as she shakes her head.

“That’s not fair, I-.”

“It is fair! It is fair because you can’t leave me! Because you grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Tommy Oliver and danced with me and took me home that night and you-this is your fault, you-.”

“My fault?! How is this my fault!?”

“I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU! I FELL IN LOVE WITH EVERY PART OF YOU AND YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO ME IF YOU WEREN’T PLANNING ON STAYING-.”

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH-.”

“THEN TELL ME! TELL ME SO I CAN UNDERSTAND-.”

“I HAD A DAUGHTER, TRINI!” 

Silence.

It penetrates the air like a poisonous gas, choking her words, making her whimper as Kimberly glares at her with hot tears falling down her face like rain.

“I had a daughter, and she died and she’s…I lived a full life before I met you in this fucking place, you know! I lived a life and I had a husband and we…we had a beautiful daughter and we were happy. And then…then she got sick…five years old and cancer…cancer just took her from me before I even got to know her.” 

Kimberly’s crying now, her voice low and barely comprehensible and she doesn’t know what to do.

So she lets her talk.

“I never got to know my daughter, but what…what if there’s a chance she’s waiting up there for me? What if she’s up there waiting for her mother to come home? I can’t…you can’t make me choose…between my daughter and you…because my husband, he’s up there with her, and even through the divorce, even through the hatred and the anger we felt at each other for what happened, the thought of being with my family…you can’t make me choose…”

Her bottom lip trembles, and Kimberly whimpers, wipes away her tears and sniffs before letting out a deep breath.

“I didn’t want to fall in love with you, either. But I did. I fell in love with all the parts of you, too. You fucking got me, Trini. This wasn’t meant to happen, this wasn’t supposed to be a hard choice, they…they never got the chance to be here, Trini, how can I…how can I leave them up there without me to make them whole?” 

She says the only thing she can.

“And what about me? What about the part of me that’s only whole with you?” She whispers.

Kimberly’s bottom lip trembles.

“Don’t make me choose.” She croaks out.

She rushes forward, kisses Kimberly tenderly.

“I love you.” She whispers.

“Don’t…Trini…” Kimberly pushes her away, wipes away her tears and jumps into the convertible, and she doesn’t have it in her to stop her, doesn’t have it in her to call her back…

She’s lost her.

-

“Here’s some water, Miss Hart.”

“Thank you, Maria.”

It’s an effort even to suck the goddamn liquid out through the straw, and if Kimberly had to be honest, it’s starting to take a toll on her, this constant back and forth between youth and old age.

The lines are beginning to blur…

It’s not a good sign.

But perhaps it really is time…

“Is something on your mind, Miss Hart?” Maria asks gently, a hand reaching out to touch hers, and Kimberly smiles at the young girl with kindness.

“I have a question to ask you.”

“Sure.” Maria says with a smile.

“If you could choose…between living in Angel Grove forever or joining your family in…wherever we go when we truly die…what would you choose?” She asks, her voice so hoarse, it’s a wonder Maria even understands what she’s saying.

But Maria has been with her for years, and she frowns and gives it real consideration for a few minutes before she sighs.

“I think…I’d do what would make me the happiest.” 

Kimberly frowns.

“But how do I know being with my family in…wherever we end up when we die…won’t make me happy?”

“I think the fact that you don’t know…gives you your answer. You know Angel Grove makes you happy…but you don’t know going to heaven-.”

“Wherever we go when we die.” Kimberly interrupts, and Maria chuckles.

“Right, sorry. You don’t know that going to wherever we go when we die will make you happy. So…I think you know your answer.”

Kimberly contemplates Maria for a long time.

“You’re too smart for your own good.”

“And you’re overthinking. Which is strange, considering you’ve told me everything about your life and from what I’ve gathered, you’re the most impulsive person I’ve ever met-.”

“I am not!”

“You chopped all your hair off when you were seventeen because your boyfriend cheated on you and you punched his tooth out.”

Silence.

“They put it back.” Kimberly grumbles. Maria laughs and stands before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Kimberly’s forehead.

“I think you know your answer, Miss Hart. You don’t need my justification to do it.” 

“Perhaps not…but it helps.” Maria laughs again, and Kimberly sighs and looks up at the setting sun over the California horizon.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath in…

And nods.

“Well…alright then.” 

“Miss Hart?” Maria asks in confusion, and Kimberly smiles up at the young nurse softly.

“I suppose I’m ready…”

“For?”

“For…Forever, I guess.”

-

The loud sound of a horn honking.

She jumps up, looks around wildly.

And then-

_”OOH BABY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT’S WORTH? OOH, HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH!”_

“No fucking way.”

She jumps up from the bed, races to the front of the beachfront cabin-

Kimberly Hart, hanging out inside her pink convertible, the widest grin of all on her face as she points at her and screams along to the song on the radio.

_”THEY SAY IN HEAVEN, LOVE COMES FIRST! WE’LL MAKE HEAVEN A PLACE ON EARTH!”_

She toots the horn again, cheers loudly before waving her forward.

“Come on, wife! We’ve gotta start our journey with a bang!”

She’s still frozen on the porch of the beachfront cabin. 

“Wh-what?” She manages to choke out.

Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“Come on, this is the first day of forever for us, we can’t spend it gaping at each other in shock! Come on!” She waves her forward again.

And as the words begin to hit her, she finds herself running.

Kimberly jumps out of the car just as she reaches her, and she wraps her arms around her, jumping into her embrace with a squeal.

“You-I-we-.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I passed over.” Kimberly whispers into her ear, hugging her close, and she has no idea what to do, can only sob and hold Kimberly close, burying her head into her shoulder as Kimberly finally lowers her to the ground and rests their foreheads together.

“I’m yours. Forever. Whether it’s here in 1988, or 1978, or 1998, 2008, 2028-.”

“I get it.” She interrupts with a breathless laugh, and Kimberly growls playfully before kissing her passionately, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her impossibly closer.

“I love you, Trini Rodriguez.” 

And she kisses her once more, the first of many that will last forever.

“I love you, Kimberly Hart.” 

Kimberly smiles, presses a kiss to her cheek, peppering them all over her face before giving her a final kiss to the corner of her mouth before wiping her tears and holding her hand out.

“Now come on! Let’s cruise down this highway and start our first day in Paradise, shall we?!” 

She nods, jumps into the passenger seat, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“Nuh uh. You drive.” She grins, jumps into the passenger seat and shifts the gear into drive before tearing down the highway, Kimberly screaming in euphoria and laughter beside her as they drive straight past the sun setting over the horizon.

Paradise.

Home.

**Author's Note:**

> SURPRISE IT WAS A SAN JUNIPERO/BLACK MIRROR AU. I hope the anon who requested this enjoyed it!


End file.
